A1 Basic Verbs 5 min read Fácil

Raíces verbales en kannada: El 'motor' de la oración

Mastering the stem allows you to give informal commands and build every other verb form in Kannada.
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Practícalo

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Kannada verbs are built by taking the root stem and adding suffixes for tense, person, and number.

  • Find the stem by removing the infinitive suffix '-u' (e.g., 'maadu' becomes 'maad').
  • Add tense markers to the stem (e.g., '-utt-' for present tense).
  • Attach the personal pronoun suffix to indicate who is doing the action.
Verb Root + Tense Marker + Person Suffix = Conjugated Verb

Overview

Las raíces verbales son la base absoluta de la comunicación en kannada...

Present Tense Conjugation of 'Maadu' (To Do)

Person Pronoun Stem Suffix Full Form
1st Sing
Naanu
maad
utt-ene
maaduttene
2nd Sing
Neenu
maad
utt-iya
maaduttiya
3rd Sing (M)
Avanu
maad
utt-aane
maaduttaane
3rd Sing (F)
Avaly
maad
utt-aale
maaduttaale
1st Plur
Naavu
maad
utt-evee
maaduttevee
2nd Plur
Neevu
maad
utt-eeri
maadutteeri
3rd Plur
Avaru
maad
utt-aare
maaduttaare

Meanings

The verb stem is the unchanging core of a verb that carries the primary lexical meaning before grammatical markers are attached.

1

Lexical Root

The base form of the verb used to derive all other tenses.

“ಮಾಡು (maadu - to do)”

“ಹೋಗು (hoog-u - to go)”

Reference Table

Reference table for Raíces verbales en kannada: El 'motor' de la oración
Infinitive Form Verb Stem Type English Meaning
māḍuvudu
māḍu
-u stem
To do / make
nōḍuvudu
nōḍu
-u stem
To see / watch
baréyuvudu
bari
-i stem
To write
kaliyuvudu
kali
-i stem
To learn
karéyuvudu
kare
-e stem
To call
tegeyuvudu
tege
-e stem
To take / open
hōguvudu
hōgu
-u stem
To go
baruvudu
bā
Irregular (Short)
To come

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. (Workplace/Social)

Neutral
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ.

ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Workplace/Social)

Informal
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ.

ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Workplace/Social)

Jerga
ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ.

ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Workplace/Social)

The Anatomy of a Kannada Verb

Verb Stem

Usage

  • Imperative Commands
  • Tense Base Conjugation

Endings

  • -u māḍu (do)
  • -i bari (write)
  • -e kare (call)

Infinitive vs. Stem

Dictionary Form (-uvudu)
māḍuvudu to do
nōḍuvudu to see
Verb Stem (The Base)
māḍu Do!
nōḍu Look!

Finding the Stem

1

Does it end in -uvudu?

YES
Remove -uvudu
NO
Check for -alu
2

Is the remainder a single vowel ending?

YES
That is your Stem!
NO ↓

Common Verb Categories

🏃

Action (-u)

  • • māḍu (do)
  • • hōgu (go)
  • • nōḍu (see)
✍️

Skill (-i)

  • • bari (write)
  • • kali (learn)
  • • kuḍi (drink)
📞

Interaction (-e)

  • • kare (call)
  • • tege (take)
  • • nene (think)
Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

Ejemplos por nivel

1

ನಾನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ

I do.

2

ಅವನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ

He goes.

3

ನಾವು ಬರುತ್ತೇವೆ

We come.

4

ಅವಳು ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಾಳೆ

She drinks.

1

ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ

I am not working.

2

ನೀನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತೀಯಾ?

Are you going?

3

ಅವರು ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ

They are coming.

4

ನಾವು ನೀರು ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತೇವೆ

We drink water.

1

ಅವನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಬೇಕೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿದನು

He said he needs to work.

2

ನಾವು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ

We were not going.

3

ಅವಳು ಬರುವಳು

She will come.

4

ನೀವು ಕುಡಿಯಬಾರದು

You should not drink.

1

ಅವನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾನೆ

He is making (someone) work.

2

ಅವರು ಹೋಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೆ

They will go and come back.

3

ಬಂದದ್ದನ್ನು ಹೇಳು

Tell what came.

4

ಕುಡಿದು ಮಲಗಿದನು

He drank and slept.

1

ಅವನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟನು

He got the work done for me.

2

ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ ದಾರಿ ಮರೆತನು

While going, he forgot the way.

3

ಬಂದೇ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೆ

They will definitely come.

4

ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದನು

He kept on drinking.

1

ಮಾಡುವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಲೇಬೇಕು

One must do the work that is to be done.

2

ಹೋಗಿ ಬರುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಜೆಯಾಯಿತು

By the time he went and came back, it was evening.

3

ಬರಲಿರುವ ಅತಿಥಿಗಳು

The guests who are to come.

4

ಕುಡಿಯುವ ಹವ್ಯಾಸ

The habit of drinking.

Fácil de confundir

Kannada Verb Stems: The 'Engine' of the Sentence vs Present vs Past Tense Markers

Learners often mix up '-utt-' (present) and '-id-' (past).

Kannada Verb Stems: The 'Engine' of the Sentence vs Infinitive vs Stem

Learners try to conjugate the full infinitive.

Kannada Verb Stems: The 'Engine' of the Sentence vs Negative vs Affirmative

Forgetting the negative suffix '-illa'.

Errores comunes

✗

maaduuttene

✓

maaduttene

Failed to drop the final 'u'.
✗

naanu maaduttane

✓

naanu maaduttene

Wrong person suffix.
✗

maadutt

✓

maaduttene

Incomplete verb form.
✗

maadid

✓

maaduttene

Mixed tense markers.
✗

hooguttid

✓

hooguttiddene

Missing the final person marker.
✗

baruttilla

✓

baruvudilla

Incorrect negative formation.
✗

kudiuttene

✓

kudiyuttene

Missing the euphonic 'y'.
✗

maaduvud

✓

maaduvudu

Missing the final vowel.
✗

hooguttare

✓

hooguttaare

Incorrect vowel length.
✗

baruvudu

✓

baruvudilla

Wrong negative suffix.
✗

maadisu

✓

maadisuttane

Forgot to conjugate the causative stem.
✗

hoogid

✓

hoogiddanu

Missing the auxiliary marker.
✗

kudiyuvudu

✓

kudiyuvudilla

Incorrect negative aspect.

Patrones de oraciones

ನಾನು ___ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ನೀವು ___ ಹೋಗುತ್ತೀರಾ?

ಅವನು ___ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಾನೆ.

ನಾವು ___ ಬರುತ್ತೇವೆ.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

ಏನ್ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ?

Job Interview very common

ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

Ordering Food common

ನನಗೆ ಕಾಫಿ ಕೊಡಿ.

Travel common

ಬಸ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ?

Social Media constant

ನಾನು ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

Delivery Apps common

ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಬರುತ್ತಿದೆ.

Regístrate gratis para ver todos los ejemplos
💡

The Dictionary Hack

When using a Kannada dictionary, always look for the -uvudu form, then mentally chop it off to get your usable stem.
⚠️

Social Context Matters

Using a bare stem with an elder is like wearing pajamas to a wedding. It's too casual! Add '-i' to the stem for respect.
🎯

The 'Do' Rule

The stem 'māḍu' (do) is your best friend. You can attach it to English nouns to make Kannada verbs: 'Drive māḍu', 'Login māḍu'!

Smart Tips

Immediately identify the infinitive and strip the 'u' to find the stem.

maadu-utt-ene → maad-utt-ene

Break it down: [Stem] + [Tense] + [Person].

hooguttiddene → hoog-utt-idd-ene

Use the shortened forms to sound more natural.

naanu maaduttiddene → naanu maadtiddini

Always use the full, unshortened forms.

naanu maadtiddini → naanu maaduttiddene

Pronunciación

maad-u (short 'a') vs maad-aa (long 'aa')

Vowel Length

Double vowels (aa, ee, oo) are held twice as long as single vowels.

maad-tt-ene

Consonant Doubling

Double consonants are pronounced with a slight pause.

Question Intonation

Verb + aa↗

Rising pitch at the end indicates a question.

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Drop the 'u' to find the 'true' stem, then add the tail to make it real.

Asociación visual

Imagine a tree. The trunk is the verb stem. The branches are the different endings you can attach to change the tense or person.

Rhyme

Drop the U, add the tail, your Kannada verb will never fail.

Story

Imagine a robot named 'Maad'. He is the base. When he wears a hat, he is doing it now. When he wears shoes, he did it yesterday. When he wears a cape, he will do it tomorrow.

Word Web

maaduhoogbarkuditinnnodkelhel

Desafío

Take 5 verbs, strip the 'u', and write them down in 2 minutes.

Notas culturales

People often shorten 'maaduttiddene' to 'maadtiddini' in daily speech.

More likely to use the full, unshortened forms in formal settings.

Uses slightly different suffixes for the same stems.

Kannada verb stems are derived from Proto-Dravidian roots.

Inicios de conversación

“

ನೀವು ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀರಿ?

“

ನೀವು ನಾಳೆ ಬರುತ್ತೀರಾ?

“

ನೀವು ಕಾಫಿ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತೀರಾ?

“

ಅವರು ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ?

Temas para diario

Describe your daily routine.
What are you doing right now?
What will you do tomorrow?
Describe a past event.

Errores comunes

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct stem of 'nōḍuvudu' (to watch).

Aa movie ____.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nōḍu
To give an informal command, you use the stem 'nōḍu' by removing the '-uvudu' ending.
Which sentence uses the correct informal stem for 'to write' (baréyuvudu)? Opción múltiple

Choose the correct command:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Hesarannu bari.
'bari' is the regular -i stem for 'to write'.
Find the mistake in the informal command. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Hōguvudu manege.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Hōgu manege.
You should use the stem 'hōgu' instead of the infinitive 'hōguvudu' for an informal command.

Score: /3

Ejercicios de practica

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ___ (maadu).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ
First person singular suffix is -ene.
Choose the correct form. Opción múltiple

ಅವನು ___ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಮನೆಗೆ
Directional suffix -ge is needed.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

ನಾನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ನಾನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ
Subject-verb agreement.
Order the words. Sentence Building

ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ / ನಾನು / ಕೆಲಸ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ
SOV word order.
Conjugate 'kudi' for 1st person. Conjugation Drill

ನಾನು ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತೇನೆ
First person singular.
Match the verb to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match 'maadu', 'hoog', 'bar'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: do, go, come
Basic vocabulary.
Is this true? True False Rule

Verb stems always end in 'u'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Stems are found by removing the 'u'.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ನೀನು ಏನು ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ? B: ನಾನು ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ
Matching the question's person.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
What is the stem of 'māḍuvudu'? Completar huecos

Stem: ____

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: māḍu
Reorder the words to say 'Call him' (informal). Sentence Reorder

kare / avanannu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: avanannu kare
Translate 'Learn Kannada' (informal) using the stem of 'kaliyuvudu'. Traducción

Learn Kannada.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kannada kali
Match the infinitive to its stem. Match Pairs

Match the following:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nōḍuvudu:nōḍu, baréyuvudu:bari, tegeyuvudu:tege, hōguvudu:hōgu
Which of these is an -e stem? Opción múltiple

Identify the -e stem:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tege
Fix the command: 'Listen to the song' (informal). Error Correction

Hāḍu kēḷuvudu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Hāḍu kēḷu.
Complete the instruction: 'Take the book' (informal). Completar huecos

Pustaka ____.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tege
Translate 'Go now' (informal). Traducción

Go now.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Iga hōgu
Which vowel do most Kannada stems end in? Opción múltiple

Common ending vowel:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: -u
Reorder: 'Write the message'. Sentence Reorder

message / bari

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: message bari

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (8)

Some verbs are irregular or have different historical roots. Always check a dictionary.

Yes, Subject-Object-Verb is the standard order.

It depends on the subject (I, you, he, etc.) and the tense.

Not many, but the most common ones (go, come, be) are irregular.

Yes, the stem is the same, but the tense marker changes.

Short forms are better for casual settings; use full forms for formal writing.

Add '-illa' or use the negative suffix '-uvudilla'.

It might sound unnatural, but you will likely still be understood.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Regístrate gratis para practicar

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Verb conjugation

Kannada stems are more stable than Spanish stems.

French moderate

Conjugaison

Kannada adds suffixes; French adds auxiliary words.

German moderate

Konjugation

Kannada has fewer irregular verbs than German.

Japanese high

Verb conjugation

Japanese has different conjugation groups.

Arabic moderate

Verb roots

Arabic roots are non-concatenative; Kannada is concatenative.

Chinese low

Verb markers

Chinese uses particles; Kannada uses suffixes.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Concordancia sujeto-verbo en kannada: emparejar verbos con personas
Next
Common Irregular Verbs

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Common Irregular Verbs
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